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Brendan O'Neill

Obama’s infantile gun-control campaign

The use of children to front a potentially big overhaul of Americans’ constitutional rights is really about silencing dissent, exploiting the wide-eyed innocence of worried children to try to shame those adults who still dare to say: “But what about my constitutional rights?” Indeed, it is normally only the most censorious, authoritarian regimes or groups that use children to front or follow through political campaigns. Who can forget the Child Spies in George Orwell’s 1984, those “ungovernable little savages” whose simplistic moralism made them the perfect monitors of adult behaviour? Today, all sorts of fundamentally anti-democratic, anti-masses campaigns – from Green efforts to guilt-trip us over our carbon use to Mary Whitehouse-style demands to censor wicked art – exploit or evoke children to get their message across. And that message is: “It doesn’t matter what you adults believe or want or desire – the feelings of children are way more important.”

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Indeed, it is normally only the most censorious, authoritarian regimes or groups that use children to front or follow through political campaigns.

And then you give us an example from a work of fiction? There are real life examples of authoritarian regimes using children in that manner. But I’m assuming the author was aware if he mentioned Hitler, Stalin or Castro everyone would have lost their minds.

“The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation.”

Flange I don’t believe that was really written by Hitler. From Libertariannews:

Retraction: Adolf Hitler Quote
October 11, 2012By michaelsuede
I recently wrote an article where I cited a quote from Adolf Hilter, turns out it was actually a manufactured quote derived from a passage in a fictional letter written by Rabbi Daniel Lapin in 2004.

The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation.

Everything bho does is ‘infantile’. bho is a spoiled rotten little brat that stomps his feet and threatens to hold his breath till he turns blue if he doesn’t get his way. And on top of that bho is a horrible nasty bully against anyone who disagrees with him!
L

That the current campaign to overhaul the Second Amendment now uses children as some of its chief spokespeople is very revealing – it reveals just how cynical and unthinking this campaign is, and that it is driven more by childish fear and simplistic morality than by that old adult pursuit, politics.

It is childish fear, but there’s definitely some vindictiveness and maneuvering on the part of your elected statist at play. Especially since the patriotic pursuit of constant vigilance over the 2nd Amendment is mainly a Conservative ideal. This is the real driver behind all this. It’s not the kids. It’s always about starting a fight with political foes when in power as fueled by the institutionalized Left, starting with the campaign to seize and mold public opinion to get their way and censoring opposing views or inconvenient facts.

The progressive statist doesn’t fear the statistically rare nutjob who’s gonna snap and go postal at any given time in a random public place. What he truly fears and loathes is the stable, hard-working, tax-paying, Bible-clinger who collects guns and shoots for sport or food. The kind of guy that has a copy of the Constitution in the pocket of his flannel shirt, understands it better than any statist ever could, and when pushed may gladly die to defend it. The scariest, freakiest thing of all–more than the bullet-riddled children whose corpses they walk over–is the true believer. For he is very inconveniently standing in the way.

It’s clear you’re very angry/depressed since that terrible night last November, and no one can blame you. You’re one of my favorite posters and let me assure you this awful excuse for a President and his toxic cohorts will go the way of all past failures at the Presidency. We have survived the corruption of Ulysses Grant, the uselessness of Chester Arthur, the cluelessness of Jimmy Carter, and the embarrassment of Bill Clinton. We will survive this. Keep the faith, and KEEP ON POSTING!

Schad,
Glad you’re not depressed. Debilitating condition.
I share your disgust, but as a realist I’m sure you’re aware that reality has a way of rearing its ugly head eventually, and the weasels (VERY appropriate description) on both sides will be forced to face their sins against this great country.
Thank YOU for your very informative links, occasional hilarious comments, and always thoughtful opinions.
Very best to you and yours also.

FYI I actually DID have a root canal on MLK day two years ago. I’d gladly have six more without novocaine if it would speed the calendar up four years. And I’m at an age where I shouldn’t be wishing any more of my life away.